Nature

The wildlife on the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas campus.

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Antillean frog, Churi coqui

Species: Eleutherodactylus antillensis

Common Name: Antillean frog, Churi coqui

General Habitat: This species of coqui can be found on the ground, in trees, around houses, and upland forest. They can also be found in leaf litter or hiding under rocks, bark, and logs, and sadly trash.

Location in which it was found: The Antillean frog was found on a log behind of Faculty East Dormitory on St. Thomas campus.

Activity: This frog was not doing much except for calling out. It sounds like kee-kee-kee.

What does it eat: It feeds mostly on insects.

This species is also known for having red eyes which helps to distinguish them from the other frog species.

~Ayana Wade 

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Cuban Tree Frog

Species: Osteopilus septentrionalis

Common Name: Cuban Tree Frog

Description: The Cuban tree frog is generally a greenish-gray color and can change depending on the temperature. They usually range from about 3-5 inches in its adult stage. The tips of their toes are usually rounded pads.

General Habitat: This frog is native to Caribbean, especially Cuba and has spread to the Virgin Islands, Florida, the Bahamas, etc. they are an arboreal species and they like to stay in forests, mangroves and coastal areas as well.

Location where it was found: This Cuban tree frog was found outside the North Dorms on UVI St. Thomas campus

Activity: At the time it was found, the frog was not moving about

What it eats: They eat insects, snails, spiders, and even other frogs

~Amanda Bannis

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Huntsman Spider

Species: Selenops lindborgi

Common Name: Huntsman Spider

General Habitat: Huntsman spiders live in warm tropical climates in which they could survive the winter. They can be found in trees and near the ground in bushes.

Location in which it was found: I have never seen a spider that looked like this so I had to get a picture even though it was not in the general area where other animals were located for this page. I found this spider on the ramp outside of my dorm in Middle Annex St. Thomas campus.

Activity: This spider was doing a good job of camouflaging into the ramp because I did not originally see it until it moved when I almost put my hand on it.

What does it eat: Huntsman spiders eat cockroaches, insects, and other invertebrates. The larger spiders have been known to eat geckos and skinks.

~Ayana Wade

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Wolf Spider

Species: 

Common Name: Wolf Spider

General Habitat: Wolf spiders are ground dwellers and live in burrows found in grassy areas or leaf litter. Their burrows are usually lined with silky web and have the leaf litter incorporated around the rim of the burrow. 

Location in which it was found: This wolf spider was also found on the walkway on the side of the North Dormitory.

Activity: This spider was trying to run but I wanted a picture of it really bad so I stood very still and it calmed down and *click* got it.  After it took off into the grass.

What does it eat: These guys eat insects.

Warning!!

Wolf spiders are poisonous but are non-aggressive. They would run before they would attack. If they are continuously provoked they will attack. The poison they contain is non-lethal. Their bites are painful and should be considered dangerous to elders and children.

~Ayana Wade

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Cuban Tree Frog

Species: Osteopilus septentrionalis

Common Name: Cuban Tree frog

General Habitat: Cuban tree frogs can be found in moist shady areas. They can also be found in trees, shrubs, and around houses.

Location in which it was found:  This particular guy was found on top of a barrel on the side of the road when heading down towards Faculty East on St. Thomas campus.

Activity: The frog was scrunched up and was calling out in a loud CROAK!!

What does it eat: They eat other frogs, toads, lizards, insects, and spiders.

Warning!!

These frogs are an invasive species and have been eating native frogs in the areas in which they were introduced.  They have also been threatening the biodiversity of the native ecosystem of the areas in which they were introduced.

~Ayana Wade

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Barred Anole

Species: Anolis stratulus

Common Name: Barred Anole

General Habitat: Barred Anoles can be found in forested areas, woodlands, and scrubs. These guys will most likely be found on the trunks of the tree. They are distributed around the U.S.V.I.

Location in which it was found:  This barred anole was found on the side of North Dormitory on the stone walkway.

Activity: The anole was not doing much of anything but just standing. Maybe it thought I wouldn’t see it if it stood very still.

What does it eat: These guys tend to feed on insects.

~Ayana Wade

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Millipede (Gongolo)

Species: Rhinocricus arboreus

Common Name: Gongolo, Millipede

General Habitat: These millipedes can be seen in trees or finding shelter underneath tree bark and anything that is lying on the ground that can provide shelter. They can be found in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua and Tortola.

Location in which it was found: This big guy was found in a tree behind North Dormitory St. Thomas campus.

Activity: Hanging out in the tree.

What does it eat: Millipedes tend to feed on decaying and living plants.

Warning!!

 When these guys are handled they tend to secrete a stinky brown fluid. It may stain your skin and it has a very gross taste in order to defend itself against predators. It can also cause a painful skin reaction.

~Ayana Wade

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Crested Anole

Male Crested Anole

 Female or Juvenile Crested Anole

Species: Anolis cristatellus cristatellus

Common Name: Puerto Rican Crested Anole

Description: Has different shades of brown depending on the individual lizard. Males have a crest on their tail. Females and juveniles have a distinguished tan line running down their backs; they look the same. The males are also significantly larger than the females

General Habitat:  Crested anoles are arboreal and are found on the trunks of trees and close to the ground. They are sometimes referred to as the trunk-ground species because that's where they are generally seen.  They are found in tropical regions in Puerto Rico and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands

Location where it was found: The male crested anole was found on the wall near a tree by the South F Dormitory. The female or juvenile crested anole was found on the Student Activity Center

Activity: The male anole was initially quite still, but began running from the wall back to the tree that was closest in the area once it noticed human activity. The female crested anole was on the wall still, not moving much until it noticed human activity and then ran down the wall to hide in the plants that were near the ground

What it eats: They eat small insects

~Amanda Bannis

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Zebra Tarantula

Species: Aphonopelma seemani

Common Name: Zebra Tarantula

Description: This tarantula is hairy, brown,  and has whitish striping on portions of the legs between the joints. The size can range from about 4-5 inches

General Habitat:  This species of tarantula is a burrowing species and is found in the ground in tropical and sub-tropical regions.  They are nocturnal so they are visible only at night when they come out to feed.

Location where it was found: This tarantula was found right outside the Student Activity Center on St. Thomas UVI campus

Activity: The tarantula was stationary at the time it was found, and stayed that way for a few minutes

What it eats: they eat small insects, worms, amphibians, small mammals, and other spiders

~Amanda Bannis

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Garden Snail

Species: Helix aspersa

Common Name: Garden Snail

Description: Snails have a brownish soft body that is surrounded by a mucus it produces. It is a mollusk, so it does have one single "muscular foot" that it uses to move about.  There are two long antennae It has a shell that sits on its back which is used for protection.

General Habitat:  This terrestrial mollusk can be found, as the name suggests, in garden and in moist dirt environments and located on the plants that they feed on. They were originally found in the British Islands and are now spread out all over the world. When it rains or is damp out, it is easier to spot them out and about.

Location where it was found: These snails were found in front of the Middle and Faculty East Dormitories in St. Thomas at UVI. These areas have many plants and quite a bit of leaf litter.

Activity: The snails at faculty east were in their shells when found, so they may have been hiding or sleeping; the one at Middle Dorms were moving along the sidewalk near where the plants were.

What it eats: They are herbivorous creatures and feed on plant and crops, fruit trees, and grain cereals

~Amanda Bannis

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Juvenile Green Iguana

Species: Iguana iguana

Common Name: Green Iguana (juvenile)

General Habitat: Iguana's are arboreal reptiles that generally tend to live near coastlands, riverbank zones, and wetlands

Location where it was found: This particular juvenile iguana was found near the Reichhold Center for the Arts in St. Thomas near the bushes

Activity: The juvenile came out of bushes for a few minutes, quickly scanned the area, probably for food, and then disappeared back into the bushes

What it eats: Iguanas tend to eat leaves and fruits off the trees that they are in

~Amanda Bannis

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Dwarf Gecko

Species: Sphaerodactylus macrolepis

Common Name: Dwarf Gecko

General Habitat: These geckos can be found in Puerto Rico and the neighboring Caribbean Islands. These cute little geckos can be found under stones, large dead plants, and under the bark of trees. The areas they are found in are generally damp and not dry. They can also be found under leaf litter.

Location in which it was found:  This particular gecko was found in dead tree leaves behind the North Dormitory on the St. Thomas campus.

Activity: When we spotted this little guy he was dashing through dead tree leaves probably looking for shelter because of our presence.

What Does it Eat: These geckos tend to eat insects such as fruit flies, aphids, silver bugs, and wax moth larvae.

~Ayana Wade

[mygoodnesswildlifeworld]

Long Horn Beetle

Species: Elaphidion mucronatum 

Common name: Spined Oak Borer, Longhorn Beetle

General habitat: These beetles could be located around tree trunks and tree limbs. This species of Longhorn beetles can be found from New York to Michigan and south of Florida.

Location in which the beetle was found: This particular beetle was found behind the North Dormitory of the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas Campus on the ground.

Activity: When I located the beetle it was not doing much of anything. It was just chilling on the ground.

What Does it Eat: Not much is really known about what the adult beetles eat but it is believed that the larvae feed on the bark in which they are laid under.

~Ayana Wade